


We Are Not Alone

by JBGRiMm



Category: Noah (2014)
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Bigotry?, Exploration, Hand Jobs, M/M, Male Bonding, Male Slash, Mpreg, Prophetic Visions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-29
Updated: 2015-01-17
Packaged: 2018-01-21 07:45:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 7,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1543070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JBGRiMm/pseuds/JBGRiMm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Flood waters receded, Ham left his family and set out into the new Creation. Alone in the world, he struggles to come to terms with his past. But will an unexpected meeting give him new hope?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Alone

Ham slowly climbed down the rocky incline, careful to not lose his footing. The receding waters had left the rocks covered in slippery algae, even this high above the sea, and walking without crashing headfirst into the gorge was difficult.

_And I suppose_ Ham thought darkly _the Watcher’s don’t “approve” of my actions_. In response, the rock under his foot shifted slightly, just enough to keep him wary.

What was he supposed to do? Alone, in a world with no wife, one of the only six people spared the Flood. Eight, he amended, considering Ila’s two daughters. That was the other thing. Ila and Shem…of course he loved her, but it was Shem; older, stronger, favorite of Father Shem who she loved. It was too much to bear. So he’d left. Left his Father wine sodden upon the beach; left Ila with her imploring, sisterly eyes; left perfect Shem; left Mother with her pitying looks and gestures, even little Japeth, he’d left them all to find a life of his own in this new Creation.

So far there wasn’t a whole lot to see.

The land was once again green, and every now and again he’d see a bird flit past or a rodent scurry through the brush and smile, pleased that they’d survived the Flood. And then that would become darkened by the memory of his time with Tubal-Cain, eating the snake down while in the ark. To eat the flesh of a beast… _Never again_ , he promised himself. But despite that, there was nothing. Life was taking it’s time to reclaim the land. So far only grass and low bushes grew, and it was from these that Ham gathered sustenance- berries, tubers, and the scattered heads of cereal grains. But there were no trees, nothing to interrupt that never-ending horizon. Just another emender of how stupid he was. Because he was stupid, wasn’t he? How could he hope to begin life anew, when the only other people were the ones he’d left far behind? How was he supposed to do it when he was completely alone?


	2. Adrift

Waves are crashing all around me. Above me the thunder rumbles again sounding like the roar of an angry god, and the rain pelts down. I pick at my bonds with my numb hands, praying that the Creator will forgive me, will spare me the torment of drifting aimlessly forever on this storm-tossed sea. The thunder overhead doesn’t give me much hope. Nor do the screams of the drowning in the distance.

Through the cracks of my eyelids, I can see the pinnacles of rock, the tops of mountains, that the rest of humanity clings to. I can see them, clawing and struggling to reach the top, more often than not falling into the raging waters or being washed off by the monstrous waves. I regard them with a mixture of aggravation and pity. Don’t they realize that it is to late, and that no mountain will be above water when this is over? Then, I see a dim shape in the distance. Long, box-like, and barely above water. I can barely make out what it is through the rain, but from the smoke rising from its roof, I assume that there are people inside. _Creator bless you_ , I think as it disappears into the gloom. Hours pass. The rain continues to fall. One by one, the people wailing on the rocks cease until the only sound is the rain and wind. I say a quiet prayer for them, and hope that they have found forgiveness somehow.

As I conclude my prayer, my body begins tensing. _No, not here, please not here_ I beg as the convulsions begin. I am suddenly very grateful to the vines that hold be to the tree, stopping me from pitching myself into the sea. The sensation continues, until the rain and water fades away and I… See a vast ocean, touched by the sun’s gentle rays. I am floating high above it, high enough to see a dove fly past beneath me, clutching an olive twig in its mouth. I turn to watch it go, and am suddenly suffused with a brilliant white light. _My child_ , says a gentle voice.

_My child, you have been through too much. But rest easy now._

As I listen, the white light sends tendrils out, touching my wounds, healing them with a soothing touch.

_Rest easy now, for you will have much to do after this time of suffering has passed. But for now, sleep, and wake when it is over_. I listened to the voice, and let it lull me into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	3. Advance

Ham woke slowly that morning, stretching slowly before rising. In the east, the sun was a pink-red smear on the horizon, staining the clouds a similar hue. He gazed out at it for a moment, an then settled against a rock, considering.

What now? He'd been wandering for almost a full moon turn. Should he continue south, or head north, or east, or even west for that matter? Or should he not move at all? Or...

No. He turned from that thought. He would not go home. 

In the end, he decided to walk towards the lake he'd seen before retiring the night before, if only to get some water. He ambled down towards the shore, enjoying the sensation of his bare feet sinking into the sand. Amongst the reeds and lilies at the waters edge, he crouched and scooped up a handful of water, with which he quenched his thirst. After that, he sat back and mindlessly looked into the water. Under the lilies, he saw tiny darting fish moving back and forth, a small frog jetting out of sight, a....

Ham paused. What was that?

Ham slowly reached into the water, and picked up the object with his fingers, drawing it out into the sun. He turned it over, staring. 

In his hands was a leaf. It was a simple twig, with a few green needles at the end, but it was the first sign of a tree he'd seen since wandering through Creation. Where had it come from? It had to be fresh, and there was no way it had survived the Flood. He looked out, and then saw another leaf floating on the lake. He quickly scrambled up, and headed back to his campsite. He could barely contain himself. Ever since he was a child, he'd carried with him a burning desire to pursue, to see, to find. It was why he'd picked a flower when he was younger, and asked the questions about eating animals that had made Father upset. It was why he'd gone to the other people's camp before the flood, and partly why he'd chosen to strike out on his own, if truth be told. And now this! He quickly gathered up his supplies, and headed back to the lake, munching on the roots he'd dug up from the reed plants on the lakeshore by means of a break-fast. At last he came to a small  stream that fed into the lake, that wound into the hills that stretched across the northern horizon, all the way to the mountains. He followed it, every now and then finding more leaves, complete assurance that he was on the right track. As he walked, the stream broadened and turned into a creek, surrounded on all sides by reed plants and bull-tail grass. Then at last, he rounded the base of a hill and stopped, stunned.

Where had it come from? Before him, the creek spread out across a grassy plain and into the distance. But on the other side of the creek, against the foothills of the mountains, stood a vast forest of gigantic trees. They were truly incredible, with rough grey-brown bark and a dense canopy of dark green needles, and the smallest must have been over eighty cubits high. Ham approached them in awe, stopping before the first trunks. Even just outside of their forest, he was engulfed in the sweet, incense-like smell of trees, as well as by a deep feeling of...ancientness.

But how could that be? The world was new, how could anything feel so ancient? For a moment Ham was scared. Was this perhaps the earthly dwelling place of the Creator? Would the Creator punish him if he set foot inside?

Ham stood at the edge, indecisive, until finally curiosity got the better of him. He took a steadying breath, and walked as purposefully as he could into the forest, ready for anything it could throw at him.

Or so he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so a few things to address:  
> a cubit is a historical/biblical unit of measurement, about a foot-and-a-half. They were the unit used to build the ark.  
> The reed-plants and bull-tail grass are, respectively, reeds and bullrushes. Considering this is still early on him history, I'm taking some liberty with plant names.  
> I am sorry for the inconsistency of the trees. I do know that the dove brought back an olive branch, but assume that tree was a lucky survivor. As for the forest of giant trees Ham has just entered, well, wait for the next chapter.


	4. Awake

It was the stillness that woke me.

Through out my whole voyage, the rocking of the tree beneath me had been a constant. Part of that had seeped into my sleep, and even if I dreamed of naught, I could still feel the gentle pitching of my tree. 

And now that was gone.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, squinting at the bright sun. Then it hit me. Sun.

I turned my head upwards so fast I heard my neck crack. Yes, above me was the sun, shining down out of  a cloudless blue sky. Nearby I could hear the gentle crash of waves, and I slipped off the vines as fast as I could before tumbling onto the ground. As soon as I hit it I grabbed some of the dirt and rubbed it over my skin, ecstatic with the joy of dry land. And when I stopped long enough to look around, I could barely believe the wonder I perceived. 

The trunk of the great gopherwood tree that had carried me through the tribulation had come to rest atop a small island, covered with bright green grass and small blue and white flowers, and ringed by a thin strip of white sand beach, dotted with rocks. Beyond that was an ocean, as blue as the sky above it, with other islands dotting it, as far as the eye could see. I looked out upon it all, and was overcome. This could not be real. Where was the dust, and the red-brown sand that coated everything back home? Where was the yellow grass and grayish fungus we ate? And most of all, where were the people, the pinch faced, angry people I'd known all my life, crowded into the small mining village on the outskirts of one of king Tubal-cain's cities? 

 _Gone_ , I realized.  _Gone forever, gone from this paradise._  No more glow-rock dust that coated the lungs of everyone in my village. No more angry villagers, willing to sacrifice their prophets in a desperate gamble to bring water. No more  _pain._  I lay back on the soft green grass, my fingers curling in it, and stared up at the endless blue sky.

 _No more,_ I thought  _and yet...everything._


	5. Afraid

Underneath the trees, a dense carpet of fallen needles softened Ham's footsteps. That was good. In this place, where everything was so dark and secretive, noise would have seemed an affront. As Ham walked deeper into the forest, he noticed something odd. The trees were all the same. Not just mostly the same and then with others mixed in-they all had the same thick grey-brown bark and dark needles. They were all strangely shaped too, with their branches starting close to the base of the tree and spreading outwards, creating a huge crown of needles. Even the undergrowth was mostly just smaller versions of the same tree, although Ham saw the occasional purple-star vine or sour-leaf. There was something else but it took Ham a moment to realize it. He stopped and took a good look once he did realize however. 

 _No,_ he thought  _that can't be right._

Ham stood with his back to one tree, and then walked six steps to the next one. Then he went to the other side of that tree and repeated the process. And then again. And again. Each time was the same-six steps. He stopped and looked back at the trees. He thought of the forest they'd lived in while building the Ark. It hadn't had any sense of order. Not like this. In fact, the whole forest felt somewhat...deliberate. He shuddered slightly at that thought, and turned to press on when a speck of movement above caught his eye. He glanced up, trying to peer through the thick tangle of branches. Nothing, as far as he could tell. But at the same time, he felt the strange sensation that there was indeed something up there. He swallowed, and quickly moved on, careful to keep one eye shooting glances at the trees. 

The farther in he went, the denser the trees became, until at last he was walking through a grove of the trees so thick it might as well have been night. He pushed though, and suddenly stumbled into an open space. He looked around, awestruck.

He had stumbled into an open glade, the ground springy with creep-mint and soft-green, and still more needles. But in the center of the glade stood the largest tree Ham had ever seen. Even standing at a distance, he could barely perceive its girth, which must have been at least are wide as the Ark had been, and as for it's height...Ham craned his neck back, and could not even begin to guess the tree's height, with it's massive branches spreading up and out into the air above. As Ham brought his head down, he paused. Something was...not quite right. He turned, and caught a brief glimpse of _something_ slide behind a tree. Ham stood very still, heart hammering, afraid.

He wasn't alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the plants:  
> Purple-star: Clematis  
> Sour-Leaf: Wood Sorrel  
> Creep-mint: Corsican Mint  
> Soft-green: Moss  
> And I'm sorry I didn't define gopherwood, it's cedar.
> 
> Any comments would be appreciated.  
> Sex coming soon, I promise.


	6. Abate

One morning, soon after my landing, I went down to the beach to swim. Stepping into the water, I let the waves pull at my toes for a moment, and then waded out onto the shelf, feet sifting through the sand. After about thirty strides, the shelf dropped off. I teetered on the edge for a moment, and then dove down into the deeper water.

The water was as clear as crystal, and I could see the whole ocean floor. 

My "island" was a mountain top, and underwater, you could see that it was one of many. The drop off would have been a valley with the water down, and the islands surrounding it were other mountains. Drifting through the water, I could see a landscape transformed. The rolling dunes beneath me would be hills with the water down, and the flat spaces would be fields. For now, though, the dunes were sand, and the plains were covered in green sea-grass, grazed on by fish. It was magical.

I surfaced for a breath, and then just floated, enjoying the feeling of the sun on my bare skin. I closed my eyes, and just drifted. Then I felt the tensing.

 _Not here, not here_ I thought, panicked. I twisted in the water, desperately trying to reach the shore, but I was too far out. As I desperately tried to swim for shore The convulsions racked my body and I sank under the waves down into....

_an open, green_ _field. I drifted down slowly out of the sky, and touched down softly on a bed of soft-green. I looked around. Around me were hills and mountains, and around me was the open plain, with a creek rushing through it. As I took it all in a wind picked up, ruffling my hair._

_"Yonacan," said a Voice._

_"Watch."_

_I turned, and saw the Gopherwood tree, it's branches bare, lying on the valley floor. As I watched, I saw someone-myself, I realized- walk out from behind it's massive trunk, and push against it with all their might. The tree didn't budge. He-me- paused, took a breath, and then pushed again. Slowly, the massive tree moved, until it was vertical once more, it's roots touching the ground. My vision stood back, and waited. The tree suddenly shivered, and its roots sprung out ward like snakes, plunging into the earth. The tree swelled with new life, bark turning grey-brown again, needles growing on the branches, the whole tree shooting up until it seemed to touch the sky._

_"Yonacan," said the Voice " when the waters have gone down, you must have brought the Gopherwood to the Valley. When it is there, you must right it, and then I shall breath life back into it. Then you shall plant a garden of the trees."_

_"How am I supposed to move the tree?" I asked._

_"A man who had enough faith could tell a mountain to throw itself into the sea and it would do so. Do not doubt yourself."_

_The tree and my vision disappeared._

_"Before you go, you must see one more thing," said the Voice._

_"What?" I asked._

_"Your future."_

_I was standing in the midst of many gopherwood trees, before the Gopherwood tree, and I was not alone anymore. Before me stood a young man. He wore garments fashioned  from dark cloth, and carried a bag made of burlap. His hair was cropped short, his skin was pale, and the faint traces of a beard graced his face. However his eyes- I had never before seen eyes that color, the color of the sea; green, blue, and grey. He had a shocked look on his face, and his hands were out, as if to defend himself._

_"Who are you?" he asked._

_Suddenly I was rushing upwards, through the branches of the Gopherwood and onto_

the beach. The surf tossed me onto the sand and I coughed up water, in an instant aware of my burning lungs. I pulled myself further up the beach, onto the grass, and collapsed, gasping for breath. I was tired from my vision, and soon fell into a black, dreamless sleep. 

When I awoke, the sun was setting in the west, turning the water golden. I pulled myself into a sitting position, and sat with my head resting on my knees, pondering.

In my visions, I usually only saw images, things that had been and things that were to come. To have the Creator speak in a vision...that had happened only twice before, during and just before the flood. It was powerful, and frightening, and pure  _elation_ all at once. There was no question that I had to perform the task set to me, but the question was, I thought, looking back at the massive trunk of the Gopherwood,  _how?_ I turned and looked back at the sunset, and then noticed something. There seemed to be more grass in front of me, where before there had been beach. I felt it with my fingers. Yes, this grass was soft and new. I looked further, out at the beach, and noticed with a jolt that it went on further than it had before. Some rocks that had rested on the shelf were now above water.

The water was abating. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so Yonacan has been introduced (finally), and he and Ham will be meeting soon, so sit tight!


	7. Await

I did not sleep that night, considering what had to be done. By the time the sun rose over Creation’s eastern horizon, I had the barest outline of a plan in place. It involved doing some fairly stupid and life-threatening things, but if it worked…

I walked along the shore of my island, gathering sea-plant and the greens that few on drier ground for my breakfast. As I did, I noted that the water was even lower. Time was running out. As soon as I’d eaten, I grabbed the stone-hafted knife I’d fashioned a few days after my awakening, and waded out onto the shelf and pushed off, swimming to the farther side of the island. Unlike the other side, which was covered in dunes and plains of sea-grass, this part was not quite as deep as the plains. Above water it would have been a rock-cliff, but now it was infested with a very tall kind of sea-plant. It grew straight out of the ocean floor, and the stems were as thick as three of my fingers. Hopefully they would suit my purpose. Paddling above a stand of these plants, I took a deep breath, and dove down. I swam fluidly down to the floor, and when my feet touched rock, I reached out and grasped one of the plants. As I’d hoped, it was strong-too strong to be pulled out by hand. I sawed my knife at the base until it broke and drifted towards the surface. I was able to cut through five more before the need to breathe forced me to swim back to the surface. I broke through the surface, gasping for breath. Once I was sated, I took hold of the plants and dragged them back to shore. Surveying them on the beach, it was apparent I would need more.

____

Three trips and two ragged lungs later, I finally had all the plants I needed. Taking seat on the beach, I began weaving them together. By the time I was done, I sun was high in the heavens, but at last I had a rope. I waded back into the water, the rope tied round my waist, and picked up a good sized rock. Then I swam out over the plains, and taking one last breath, I let the rock carry me down. I had tried to swim to the bottom of the plains before, but the depth and water pressure had always driven me back. Now I didn’t have much of a choice. By the time my feet touched the bottom, I felt like my head was splitting open, but I gritted my teeth and told myself to focus. Untying the rope, I looped it around the rock, and dropped the rock onto the floor, where it settled into the sand. I sped back to the surface, and almost passed out at the sudden change in pressure. I floated for a bit, just to stop my skull from throbbing, and realized WAY to late that I could have just tied the rope to the rock on the surface and dropped it down. Oh well. After that, I checked to make sure that the rope had floated up, and then swam back into shore.

Now came the hard part.

The Gopherwood Tree was perched on the edge of the island and a drop off, so I didn’t have to worry about it dragging on the coastal shelf. I did have to worry about actually finding a way to push it off the island and into the water. I pushed against it with no luck, before seeing another solution. Climbing onto the tree, I walked down to the end over the water, and jumped up and down. Granted, my weight wasn’t much, but I felt it shift slightly. I continued until the better half of the tree was over water, and then was able to push it in, where it fell with an almighty splash. Jumping in after it, I pushed the floating tree (easy enough in water) to where the rope was, and using extra rope, tied it around the trunk. To my relief, the rope held, and the Gopherwood bobbed on the waves like a shellfish buoy. Even so, I watched it careful throughout the rest of the day, but it was still there at sunset, and the next morning.

With that task completed, all that was left to do was wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long chapter and the delay, but stuffs happening. Okay, so Ham and Yonacan meet next chapter PROMISE, and sex will happen soon.
> 
> sea-plant: sea-weed


	8. Achieve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sweet root- sweet potato
> 
> Shumash: Oh just wait, Shumash is me using creative license to the fullest.

Three days later the water was gone.

I couldn't believe it at first. The night before the water had fallen considerably, but the islands were still islands. Now though....

My island was a mountain, one of many bordering the eastern edge of a huge plain. But these mountains weren't the dull crags of sand-colored rock that had surrounded my village. They sloped gently upwards, and were adorned with a carpet of grass and flowers. Below, the plain stretched west until it reached another mountain range several hundred leagues away, it too a verdant carpet of grass, broken only by a swollen creek. But one thing stood out on the plain; the enormous trunk of the Gopherwood, lying on it's side. Although apparently, not for much longer.

 _Today's the day,_ I thought. _I'm really going to do this._

I began to head down the mountain, then paused, and went back. If I was going down, it was probably best I bring what I had with me, to save a trip later if nothing else.

I had taken to wearing either nothing or my breechclout, but today I pulled on the garments I'd fashioned before the Flood. They were a simple set of linen trousers and hooded-tunic, unremarkable save for the patches. Before that night when I had met Shumash, my clothes had been near to tatters, and far too small, same as everyone else in my village. The mining we did may have made Tubal-Cain and his cities rich but it made us poorer than the dirt we hacked at. But Shumash had given me, among other things, his shed skin, and in preparation for the Flood, I had sewn it into my clothing, so as to keep him close to me through my tribulation. I ran a hand down a patch of the scaly skin, enjoying the soft, leathery feel of it. Shumash. I hoped he was with the Creator now.

There wasn't much else besides my clothes. My stone knife I belted onto my side, my fire-stones I tucked into a pocket, and the rush basket I'd made for gathering was slung onto my back. With all this done, I made my way down the mountain, wary for patches of slippery algae left behind by the retreating water, but the journey down was uneventful. Upon reaching the base, I made my way to the trunk and paused, considering.

The Gopherwood had been dead for some time before the Flood. It had grown quite a bit in it's life, however, as it was about thirty cubits around and more than I could estimate high. And it was, I fully grasped when I tried to push it into an upright position, resolutely unmovable. I pushed against the tree for some time, straining and sweating under the sun, to no avail. Out of desperation, I tried to push from the other side, but again, nothing happened. Stopping to catch my breath, I considered. How in the Creator's Unspeakable Name was this thing going to move? It was like trying to move a mountain.

 _Mountain_ I thought. The Creator had said something to me about a mountain. That a man with enough faith could make a mountain jump into the sea.

Well, I certainly had nothing left to lose.

I took my stance again, gripping the trunks rough bark and heaving upwards. Nothing happened. I began to grow angry.

 _This tree is going to move_ I thought.

Still nothing.

_It's going to move because the Creator said it would move and now I'm saying it's going to move so...._

There was a budge. 

At first I couldn't believe it. But then more and more of the trunk started being pulled upwards, and I couldn't do anything but believe. Pulling harder, I worked my way under the tree, holding the trunk up with both hands. I walked down under the trunk, keeping the tree above me, until I made it to the base. Steadying myself, I threw my weight and strength against the base, and with a jarring thud, the tree fell into an upright position, its roots flat on the ground. I stood back, waiting.

What happened next has no description, because when you see a miracle such as what I saw no words are sufficient. To make an attempt, I can say that the tree was filled with new life, that its roots burrowed into the ground, that its branches climbed upwards, sprouting with green needles and cones, and that its trunk gee until it was thicker than anything I have ever seen, but these words do nothing to accurately describe it. All I know is that when it was over I wept with joy. My Gopherwood was alive.

\----

Time passed. I gathered the seeds from the cones and planted them, and new trees shot upwards almost instantly, growing higher and higher until they stopped, although none were ever as tall as the original Gopherwood. In less than a full moon turn, a mighty forest of the trees covered part of the plain and parts of the mountains. Fruit bearing vines and bushes grew amongst the trees, as well as herbs and soft-green and other crawling ground plants. Birds came from somewhere and made nests in the trees. It was paradise.

My only sadness was that I was alone.

\---

It was at least a full moon turn after the first Gopherwood had been planted that I heard him. I had been digging for orange-root on the forest floor when I heard the footsteps. Reacting on instinct, I climbed the nearest tree and watched from the canopy. The understory parted, and I saw a man step out. 

I couldn't believe it. My vision had been accurate. Because it was him, with his dark clothes and short hair; it was the man from my vision. I wasn't alone after all.

He pushed onwards, and I elected to follow from the branches. Above the ground, the branches grew so thickly together and were so broad you could easily run along them. After a time, he came to the center of the forest, to the original Gopherwood. As I watched, he looked around, his eyes fixing on the Gopherwood in awe. I chose that moment to descend the tree I was in, coming down behind it, away from him.

But he saw me. 

I could tell but he sharp intake of breath, and then the stillness. I froze, unsure of what to do. Finally, I gritted my teeth, and forced myself around the trunk, into his sight.

He looked shocked when he saw me, and I couldn't blame him. I was a stranger after all.  His hands came up slightly, as if he thought he'd have to bed fend himself. We just stood there for a time, neither one of us moving, just taking the other in.

At last, he broke the silence.

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.

"Yonacan," I answered.


	9. Above

Ham stood there, staring at the other man. He was different from anyone he'd ever seen before, and Ham half-thought that he was some kind of earth-spirit. He looked nothing like anyone in his family or like any of Tubal-Cain's people.

He was quite tall for one thing, at least six and a half cubits tall. His body was lithe, with long arms and legs; and his skin was brown-not sun-browned, but actually brown.  Even his garments were strange. He wore trousers and a tunic like everyone else Ham had seen but...the fabric was lighter in color, and thinner. And parts of it were not fabric at all, but whitish-yellow reptile skin. Snake skin, Ham realized, remembering the relic Tubal-Cain had passed to him as he died. His hair was black and stood up from his head, with tight curls. And his eyes were a rich dark brown and were currently staring right into his own.

For a while, each of them sized each other up. At last, Ham overcame his shock and asked "Who are you?"

"Yonacan," the other man answered. 

"How...how are you here?"

"You're in my forest. How are you here?" Yonacan responded, and Ham felt weirdly chagrined.

"I mean how did you survive the Flood?" asked Ham.

"On that," said Yonacan, pointing to the giant tree behind Ham. "You?"

"My family built an Ark," said Ham.

"A..." Yonacan trailed off, looking confused.

"An Ark its like a... I don't really know how to describe it, but it's big, and it floats," Ham added lamely. A look of recognition dawned on Yonacan's face.

"Kind of like a box?" He asked.

"Sort of," said Ham.

"I wondered what that thing was." Yonacan and Ham stood there for a time. At length, Yonacan spoke. "This is ridiculous. You're the first person I've seen in three months and we're just standing here. Why don't you come up?"

"What's up?" asked Ham.

"Home," replied Yonacan. Yonacan walked past Ham, and proceeded to the tree. He grabbed onto one of the branches, then turned back to Ham. "Are you coming?" Ham deliberated for a moment. This man was a total stranger. He wore garments made of snakes, the old disobedient ones. He had also survived the Flood without being on the Ark, the Ark the Creator had said would be the only life left on Earth. 

And yet.... Ham was curious. And his curiosity always got the better of him. So he followed Yonacan to the tree, and tried his best to climb after him. Yonacan climbed with an easy grace, one arm continuously going over another, grasping the branches, the cords of tendon standing out against his forearms. Ham....It would be enough to say that Ham hadn't done much climbing in his life. A few minutes into the climb, Ham risked a look down.

Mistake. 

Unbeknownst to him, during his climb they had actually gone quite a ways up, and now the ground was dizzyingly far away. Ham was suddenly aware of how  very easy it would be to fall and plummet to his.... "How much further!" he called up to Yonacan. Yonacan laughed. "Afraid of heights?" he replied. "Kind of," answered Ham. "Keep climbing, I'll wait for you," said Yonacan, pulling himself up onto a branch and taking a seat.  You do that thought Ham. Ham struggled up the next twenty cubits, before finally hauling himself onto the branch Yonacan was seated on. "Having fun?" Yonacan teased, grinning. "How are you not afraid of the height?" asked Ham. "I figure that if the Creator had wanted me to die I'd have died in the Flood. So I really don't see any point in worrying about the height," said Yonacan. "Fair enough," said Ham, pulling himself upright. On thing for the height though, the view was incredible. They had climbed into the crown of the tree, and were only just above the canopies of the other trees. Before them stretched a sea of green, broken only by the occasional stray limb. In the distance, the sun was beginning to dip towards the western part of Creation. "The views even better from my home," said Yonacan, reminding Ham that there was another person on the branch. "Where is that?" asked Ham. "Look up," said Yonacan. Ham did. Above him was a dense screen of branches, covered in green needles. Ham looked closer, and realized that the branches were actually a platform, secured between two branches with vine-ropes. Yonacan got up, and resumed the climb, followed by Ham, who had forgotten his fear in the heady rush of curiosity. It was a short climb up the trunk to the platform, but an easy one. Someone (Yonacan) had carved the branch into steps with thick , taut  plummet-vine stretched on one side to provide support. Once reached these, it was a simple enough matter to climb to the platform. Ham stood there for a moment, marveling. The platform was made of sturdy logs, lashed together and then lashed onto three branches that spread out from the trunk, forming a platform about ten  cubits wide by fifteen cubits long. Around the edge wrapped a rim of braided plummet vine and more branches closed it in, as well as guarded against falling off. Above, a dense canopy of three-hand vine spread out, doing duty as a roof. Most of the platform was taken up by a tent made of dark fabric, like the kind Yonacan wore, but in the open area there were racks of drying herbs, a loom, baskets, piles of textiles and a large metal bowl that stood on three legs and held some glowing coals. And all around it was the view- the mountains, the plains, the forest below, and above, the sky, tinged pink with the coming night. Ham took a moment to drink it all in. 

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" said Yonacan.

"Yes," said Ham.

"Want some food?" asked Yonacan, moving towards the coals.

"Yes please," Ham said, realizing how ravenous he was. It had been hours since his last meal.  Yonacan kindled a fire in the bowl, and then opened a basket, pulling out some sweet-root tubers. He took the stone knife from his belt and sliced them in half, revealing their light orange flesh, then skewered them and set them over the fire. As he prepared food, Ham looked around more. The three hand vine had grown over a net, he saw, that had been stretched over the platform. The trappings were of unfamiliar make, with strange swirls, hands, and animals woven into the baskets or rugs. Ham seeped closer to the edge of the platform and looked down. Below, the forest floor was giving way to twilight, with purple shadows rising up from the bases of the trees and plants. In the woods, a bird called out- a nightjar, Ham thought, and then took to the sky, whipping past the platform and off into the sunset.

"They're ready," said Yonacan, and Ham turned to see Yonacan with two bowls of sweet-root mash. Ham walked tot he fire and took seat, picking up his bowl. He cast his eyes around for a spoon. Yonacan looked at him curiously.

"What are you looking for?" he asked.

"A spoon," said Ham.

"Just use your fingers," said Yonacan, rolling some of the mash between his fibers and popping the ball into his mouth. Ham followed suit, enjoying the taste of sweet-root and something else.

"What's in this," he asked.

"Sweet-root and simun," said Yonacan. When he saw Ham's blank face, he continued "Simun is the bark of a tree. It's sweet smelling, and makes a reddish powder when you grind it down. It curls up when you pull it off the tree..."

"Oh!" Ham interrupted ", Ceylonica!"

"What?" asked Yonacan, looking puzzled.

"Ceylonica, that sounds like what you're describing. It grew in the forest me an my family lived in before..." Ham cut himself off before he could go into greater detail. _Don't talk about your family_ , he thought. 

"So you're a northerner," said Yonacan.

"A what?" asked Ham.

"Well, everyone I ever knew called that spice simun, and you might have noticed you're a little bit pale..." said Yonacan, his mouth quirked up in a teasing smile.

"Everyone I ever knew was like this," said Ham, gesturing to his skin.

"Don't you burn in the summer?" asked Yonacan.

"A little, but we have a paste we make to keep the sun from burning."

"Hmm," said Yonacan. They lapsed into silence. After a bit, Ham ventured another question.

"Why do you wear snake-skin?" he asked.

"Out of respect," said Yonacan.

"Respect," said Ham, concerned. Could he mean...

"Yes, the people of my village killed the snake the skin belonged to and ate it, though it had done no wrong. Afterwards, I used his shed skin to fix my clothes, in preparation for the Flood." 

Ham shivered, remembering once again the snake _he'd_ eaten.

"How did you know the Flood was coming?" asked Ham.

"The Creator told me," said Yonacan.

"Did he send you a dream?" asked Ham, thinking of his father.

"No, a waking vision. And it was more of a command. The Creator told me to go to the Gopherwood and tie myself to it. After I'd done that, the water rose, and the tree was ripped from the ground. I fell asleep as it floated, and when I woke the Flood was over," Yonacan replied, scraping the last of the mash from his bowl. He licked his fingers before setting the bowl down. Ham finished his mash as well and set the bowl down. He drummed his fingers on the floor of the platform.

"Well," he said "I should probably..."

"If you're thinking of climbing down in the dark, I'd ask you to reconsider," said Yonacan, poking the flames with a stick.

"What should I do then?" asked Ham.

"You're welcome to stay here, but if you're going to stay, I think I should know your name," said Yonacan, looking over in Ham's direction.

"Thank you. And my name is Ham," he said. Yonacan's eyebrows quirked up.

"Ham? You northerners really do have strange names. Grab that blanket would you?," he said. As Ham picked up the cloth folded up next to him Yonacan moved the coals apart, and watched as the flames died down until there were only smoking coals left. With the last burning part he lit a stone lamp, and walked over to the tent. Ham followed him, and waited as his eyes adjusted to the dark tent. It was only one room, and save for a bedroll and some baskets, it was mostly empty. Yonacan moved the bedroll over to the left side of the tent.

"You can set yourself up over there if you want,"

"Thanks again," said Ham, unfolding his blanket and bedroll. He crawled onto the thin mattress, as on the other side of the tent Yonacan removed his tunic, exposing his wiry chest and lay down on his own bedroll. For a moment, neither man spoke.

"This feels strange," said Ham. Yonacan looked up.

"I'm glad you were the first one to say it," he said. Ham smiled, relieved that it hadn't just been him.

"It's just... we're talking, and it's like it was before the Flood, but..." continued Yonacan, trailing off.

"I know what you mean," said Ham. "It's just that everything's different."

"That it is," said Yonacan. They were both quiet for a moment more.

"Goodnight Ham."

"Goodnight Yonacan."

Yonacan pinched the wick in the lamp, plunging the tent into darkness. Ham stretched back and fixed his eyes on the underside of the tent roof. In just a day, everything had changed. Should he even stay here, here with this man who talked about serpents with respect and who lived so high up in a tree that you couldn't leave at night?

But as Ham lay there, he thought about Yonacan. His gentle smile, the soothing harmony of his voice, the fluid way he move while climbing. He wasn't anything like Tubal-Cain, who while he had been kind on occasion, it was always with an air of superiority, and his movements had been more like a predators. And while Tubal-Cain had eaten the snake, claiming it was his right, Yonacan had shown respect for a fallen creature.

No, Yonacan wasn't like Tubal-Cain at all.

Maybe he and Yonacan could become friends.

Below, on the forest floor, a small green-toad hopped about, searching for beetles. A yellow-necked mouse nosed around the shoots of a sharp-leaf plant, before taking cover as it heard the wings of an owl.

And above, in a platform lashed to a tree, Ham fell asleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being so patient!   
> Now that Ham and Yonacan have met, things are going to get interesting. It's going to be kind of a slow build, but stuff WILL HAPPEN SOON.
> 
> Comments would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Plummet vine- liana  
> Three-hand vine-ivy  
> Simun/ Ceylonica- Cinnamon  
> Sharp-leaf- mint  
> Yellow-necked mouse- species of mouse native to Israel  
> Green toad- species of toad native to Israel


	10. Amiss

It was still dark when Ham woke the next morning. At first, the dark canopy above him made no sense, and neither did the hard ground around him.

Then he remembered. The forest, the man, the home built in the branches of a tree....

He turned his head sightly, and saw that Yonacan was still asleep. He watched him for awhile. Asleep, he looked younger, and less alien. He wasn't quite as tall as Ham had originally supposed, perhaps only four cubits. His muscles were lean and wiry, not broad like his or Shem's, and Ham wondered why that was. He wondered other things as well. Were had Yonacan come from? How had he planted the trees? How was he going to get down from this tree?

Unable to sit still any longer, Ham got up, stretching, and crawled out through the tent flap. Out on the platform, he looked around, and was stopped by the sight. The sun had yet to rise, and above, the sky was pink with the sun to come. All around, the trees lay still and quiet, painted with deep indigo shadows. ham stepped to the edge of the platform to get a cleared view, and just stood there for a moment, drinking it in.

Behind him, he heard footsteps, and turned to greet Yonacan.

"Miss me?"

Ham froze, shocked. He felt as if someone had turned his innards to ice.

Tubal-Cain was standing in front of him, a smirk on his face, his hair dripping wet. Ham could even smell the stench of the hides he wore, and it made him want to be sick. Instead, he choked out...

"No...you're not..." 

"But I am," said Tuabal-Cain "I am here. I'm still dead, you made certain of that, but I'm still here. I'll always be here. I don't know what plan the Creator has for you and that giant in there, but I promise you, whatever it is, I'll take it from you, the way you took my life from me. Murderer."

With that Tubal-Cain vanished. Ham collapsed, falling forward onto the platform, shaking. It couldn't have happened. He'd killed Tubal-Cain, stabbed him, and he'd died. He'd killed him to protect his family, his father... 

 _The family you abandoned, the father you helped try to kill._  Said a voice in Ham's head. A voice that sounded Suspiciously like Tubal-Cain.

"Ham?" 

Ham looked up, and found himself reflected in the dark brown eyes of Yonacan. Ham hadn't even heard him approach.

"What's wrong?" asked Yonacan, looking concerned. 

Creator, what could he tell him ?

"Nothing," said Ham, internally forcing himself to calm down "everything is fine."

Yonacan gave him a look. Ham pushed himself up back onto his feet and met Yoancan's stare. After a time, Yonacan shrugged and turned towards the steps.

"If you're sure about that, then I could use a hand getting some break-fast. We ate the last of my food last night. " He paused at the top of the steps.

"Are you coming?"

"Of course," said Ham, forcing himself to smile. Everything would be fine.

Nothing was amiss.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I would like to deeply apologize for the long delay. A lot of stuff has happened. My dad was sick, and I couldn't write anything for months, but he's completely better now so thats done. I've also transferred colleges, as well as majors, and on top of that I turned 19, so its been a long few months.  
> But I'm back now, and I will keep writing.
> 
> By the way, we've now met everyone, so I can really start developing Ham and Yonacan now. So keep yourself tuned to this, and I promise you won't have to wait six months for the next chapter.


End file.
